# How do you safely remove whiteheads at home, and what should you do after stupidly picking one?



## SandyFaithCrow (Feb 9, 2011)

Hey y'all, I just joined this site to ask a question. I have a few whiteheads on my cheeks and I usually squeeze them after steaming. For the most part it doesn't leave any scars. But sometimes I get frustrated and attack the whitehead so vehemently that it bleeds a bit. That'sâ€¦never good.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> But I was wondering if there's a better way to remove whiteheads - WITHOUT buying a tool or product.


----------



## magosienne (Feb 9, 2011)

Just use a needle you sanitized with alcohol  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Then you can apply a bit of alcohol on the whitehead.


----------



## perlanga (Feb 9, 2011)

Ditto on the needle with alcohol, I also dab some acne cream on it afterward. It turns into a tiny scab and falls off, I rarely get scars.


----------



## reesesilverstar (Feb 9, 2011)

That's the one where the white stuff oozes out, right. You really shouldn't be picking at them. Just leave them to ripen on their own, if you really don't want a scar.


----------



## xjackie83 (Feb 9, 2011)

On Tyra a derm said you should take two q-tips and squeeze it until you see blood.  I do that now whenever I had one and notice that they don't scar as much as picking at them.


----------



## Andi (Feb 9, 2011)

> Originally Posted by *reesesilverstar* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> That's the one where the white stuff oozes out, right. You really shouldn't be picking at them. Just leave them to ripen on their own, if you really don't want a scar.


I agree. Anyone who is you're really prone to getting post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and/or acne scarring probably shouldn't mess with popping any kind of pimple at all. Some people even get scars or a dark mark even when they don't touch their pimples (which is what happened to me when I had cystic pimples)

With whiteheads I too use a very fine sterilized needle and then gentle squeeze the skin on both sides of the pimple, pulling AWAY from the pimple.


----------



## divadoll (Feb 11, 2011)

I use Mario Badescu drying cream.  I apply it just when I'm starting to get a pimple and it never gets to a white head. I also apply them on white heads and I see it diminish overnight.  Larger ones take a couple of nights.  I get little tiny ones along the side of my nose sometimes, I just pop the tiny ones but I know I shouldn't.


----------



## Maris Crane (Feb 12, 2011)

Generic tretoinin gel, on a Q-Tip. Afterwards: Avene Cicalfate. Sometimes multiple times per day.


----------

